


Neither Dancing nor Dreaming

by The_Dancing_Walrus



Series: Forms of Love [2]
Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alliances, Berk (How to Train Your Dragon), Cultural Differences, Developing Relationship, F/F, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-13 04:02:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3367064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Dancing_Walrus/pseuds/The_Dancing_Walrus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'The year Felian rides South Arendelle gains an ally because of a storm.'</p>
<p>In which dragons fall from the sky, an alliance is formed and Elsa finally mentions love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Neither Dancing nor Dreaming

**Author's Note:**

> A songfic I guess? Inspired by 'For the Dancing and the Dreaming' this leads on from 'Three Forms of Love' and is best read after that to get an idea of where the characters are coming from and the way Mulan And Elsa's relationship develops.

The year Felian rides South Arendelle gains an ally because of a storm.

 

It blows in fast from the west, a tangle of lightning like cracks in the sky and clouds like swirling ink in water. Too warm and too wet to be the Queen’s doing, too heavy and sudden for her magic to make it anything other than worse.

 

It knocks a creature from the heavens, so large and heavy that it breaks the roof it lands on, sending tiles skittering into the road like hail. It causes a commotion in the capital that Mulan only truly appreciates later, when the storm has blown away and she sees the broken shutters and sorry scorch marks-

 

What she knows at the time is this-

 

A guard bursts into the Queen’s bedroom in the middle of the night, screaming of a monster in the streets. Mulan is awake in a moment on her feet in an instant.

 

Elsa stirs slowly, sits and then-

 

She rises, ice growing from the floor into stark, sheer, sheets that build a robe with perfect folds around her. She strolls, sure and stately from the room while Mulan is still fumbling with her armour.

 

She follows, after far too much time, imagining the thousand terrible things that could have befallen the Queen in the minutes she has been out of Mulan’s sight. Her sword in hand, waving as she runs for she did not take the time to find it’s sheath, she bursts into the streets. She charges after a trail of snow flakes that glitter between the cobbles.

 

And she sees the monster through the driving rain.

 

It is not a thing she would think to call a ‘dragon’. An animal of brutal grace it reminds Mulan rather of a snake. A winged, red snake grown impossibly vast, blessed with both horns and a mouthful of massive fangs. It breaths steam and sparks into the air, spreads its wings and cranes it’s neck high so that stands almost as tall as a house.

 

She shoulders her way through the smoke, the knots of sheltering folk, the ring of guardsmen until she sees her Queen standing at the beast’s feet. She levels her sword, a shard of unmelting ice, at the creature as it roars.

 

The Queen raises a hand and Mulan holds. The creature does not.

 

It bellows, a deep fearsome scream that shakes the windows and fire rolls from its mouth in fat, lazy waves.

 

Elsa moves her hand, slowly towards the beast-

 

The fire vanishes into a bank of steam and the wind whips the remnants away.

 

The creature stares at her, a fine lick of frost across its snout and an expression Mulan can almost imagine is surprise on its face. It lowers its head and wings. Its tail uncurls-

 

And a man staggers out from the coils. He is short and stocky, with a dark scraggly beard and shocks of dark hair poking out from under a helmet that sits askew.

 

Elsa lowers her hand.

 

She catches the delirious babbling rider when he stumbles her way and shepherds him towards the palace. Mulan leads his steed.

 

-

 

The rider, blessed with the name of ‘Snotlout’, is placed in a guest room with a doctor at his disposal. The creature, which it seems every native of Arendelle would insist was a dragon, is ensconced in the main hall.

 

Mulan does not trust either, but the ‘dragon’ seems disinclined to set the palace ablaze and its master’s ill-feeling only extends as far as the silverware.

 

-

 

They let the lecherous wretch go as soon as he is well; though Mulan makes sure the guards know to search him first.

 

Elsa is certain that the damage was entirely accidental, and she is always reluctant to punish those who seem different to their fellows, especially if the difference makes them feared.

 

He flies off on a dull, still day and they think no more of him for a month or more.

 

-

 

At the height of summer they are visited by dragon-riders again.

 

She wears a mask like a monster from the deep and stands nonchalant on the back of a creature even Mulan can not deny is celestial.

 

They sweep down into the central square and the rider asks an audience with the Queen.

 

Elsa takes no guard but Mulan, and they stand side by side facing the stranger and her vast four-winged dragon. It glitters auspicious colours in the sun and Mulan, her hand on her steel-less sword, fears the many terrible ways this may end.

 

Which do not happen.

 

Elsa of Arendelle exchanges greetings with Valka of Berk and there begins almost instantly discussion of friendship, allegiance.

 

It seems that Berk, a small part of the Barbarous Isles, has grown used to outsider’s fear. Valka declares that they wish friendship with any brave enough to face a dragon. Mulan suspects that it has more to do with wanting a source of wood from less suspicious suppliers for a place with limited land and an abundance of fire spitting tenants.

 

-

 

But Valka is gracious and wise. Her beast has an easy temper.

 

Which is fortunate when Mulan can see that Elsa wishes to agree to trade but is struggling to find anything Berk possesses that Arendelle lacks.

 

Until Anna’s eldest, who has grown enough to be bold but not enough to know sense, approaches, then touches, then _mounts_ the creature.

 

-

 

There would be many advantages in a few such beasts.

 

Rescues from the rough sea outside the capital’s harbour would risk less lives. Transport of goods would be much improved. The Southern Isles and Weeselton would certainly not dare venture near their boarders.

 

And perhaps she is growing cautious as she ages but Mulan is not sure the benefits Anna’s children emphasise outweigh the risks.

 

-

 

Elsa remains interested. For the first time since Mulan has been to Arendelle the Queen seems intent on leaving it. Diplomacy they tend to leave to Anna and Kristoff.

 

She wonders if the Chief of Berk will realise this distinction. She wonders if it is a step too far. She is unsure that Elsa has ever been on a ship before and-

 

When the reach the open ocean Elsa walks to the edge of the deck towards the sea. The wind artfully dishevels her hair as she smiles out at the spray.

 

She raises her hands and the droplets land as diamonds.

 

For a moment she is Idisi Elsa of Arendelle. The Snow Queen and Mulan her Winter Knight.

 

For a moment Mulan does not doubt they are a match for dragons.

 

-

 

Berk is a miniscule pile of rocks, windswept and beaten by rain.

 

Its inhabitants make it seem…larger.

 

Dragons, in a thousand different forms and colours, wheel in the sky like gulls, perch on the roofs, squabble and squawk. They pass in swirling flocks, like enormous clouds, over and around their boat well before they reach the shore.

 

As though the island itself takes to the air.

 

-

 

The Chief of Berk is a lanky one-legged man awkward with strangers. His wife though-

 

His wife is clearly a warrior, Mulan can see it in the way she moves, in the way she watches. In the axe she wears easily and the weapons she conceals.

 

In the air, on the back of the elegant black animal he claims is more friend than steed, he is a different creature entirely.

 

A vital power, like the wind or lightning.

 

Or ice.

 

And suddenly there are more parallels on this small rocky island than Mulan is comfortable with.

 

-

 

There is a feast in their Great Hall, a huge wooden structure high ceilinged and decorated with carvings Mulan finds somewhat gaudy. She is seated next to Elsa at the highest table and spends the meal trying to ignore the way their hosts allow the beasts into the chamber.

 

As if they’re dogs.

 

-

 

The wine and spirits flow as if their supply is limitless. And against her better judgement Mulan drinks-

 

It is nothing like Elsa’s akaviti, the golden liquor is sweet, spiced and the clear is a foul thing that burns her mouth and makes her cheeks flush red. She suspects it has made her see things because she is almost sure that one of the beasts has two heads-

 

And then the people of Berk begin to sing.

 

She listens to the first few stanzas, on the glory of dragon-hunting, before she decides she does not care for their music. She drifts, gazing at the fires, the light on the scales of Berk’s beasts and-

 

Again and again she finds herself looking at Elsa, her poise, her perfect lips, the touch of snowflakes at her neck-

 

And she is struck suddenly by her own gracelessness, the threads of grey in her own hair-

 

By the way neither have mentioned love-

 

The music shifts, softer slower and the song which filters through the haze is about love and marriage and vows that last forever.

 

Mulan gets up. She takes a moment to find her feet and slips away.

 

-

 

Elsa finds her at the edge of the village facing the sea. The ice on her armour almost glows in the moonlight and it is-

 

She thinks of the song that played as Mulan stumbled out and reaches for her. Mulan slowly turns.

 

There is grief in her eyes and Elsa-

 

Elsa does not know what to say.

 

She fears that-

 

Mulan looks away and Elsa swallows the words that keep choking her. She wonders why it has become so important, what she can not say, when the thought of Mulan melts away her ice.

 

“I can not dance.” Elsa says finally. “And I am….quite fond of your poetry.”

 

“Can you understand it?” Mulan asks.

 

“Pieces.”

 

They stand and stare out over the dark churning sea.

 

“I can not sail.” Mulan admits.

 

Elsa’s hand drifts from the armour to find Mulan’s and cover it.

 

“Do you love me?” She says, suddenly, fearfully.

 

“With all my heart.” Mulan answers instantly.

 

“Even though I am-” Elsa stumbles through the words, not quite daring to finish them. “Even though I have- But Aurora- And I am-”

 

Mulan pulls her close, even as the air grows cold and a frost begins to spread about their feet.

 

And the ice melts.

 

“Do you…feel similarly?” Mulan enquires and her voice is so steady that Elsa wonders where she finds such strength.

 

“Yes.” She breathes.

 

Mulan pulls back. She smiles and gently she smooths Elsa’s hair back into place.

 

“I could teach you to dance.” Mulan suggests.

 

She expects strange movements, the patterns of Mulan’s homeland but instead Mulan takes her hand and guides her through the most common dance at the court of Arendelle. It is Anna’s favourite but Mulan, as far as Elsa knows has never danced it. She must have watched and-

 

Mulan takes Elsa’s hand and Elsa allows herself to be led.

 

-


End file.
